Death is not an Option
by Alex - Alexis Dawneye
Summary: Set in the timeline following House of Hades, I'm giving Nico a happy ending. There aren't a lot of description on the canon characters, since Uncle Rick did an awesome job using it. However, I -do- describe my original characters.
1. Chapter 1

**Death is not an Option**

Plot: Nico's birthday has come up, and since he is 17 now, Alex decides to get him a nice present. But when Percy and Jason ruin it with a jest, apologies lead to tears, comfort leads to interest, interest leads to romance, romance leads to passion, passion leads to the sexy-sex, the sexy-sex leads to drama, the drama leads to death, the death leads to more death, but then the first death wasn't really dead. And we have to deal with it and you're gonna be an emotional wreck, so get out if you don't want it here. AND I'M SORRY IF THAT SENTENCE DOESN'T WORK TOO WELL, I CAN'T EVEN ENGLISH WHEN MY FEELS ARE UP.

I hold no copyright on the Heroes of Olympus series (owned by Rick Riordan), or any of the characters, places, events, etc. referenced within this fan fiction. It is purely for the purpose of entertainment, and the only original work involved is listed in 'Defeat is not an Option: Character List'. I'm just playing with the toys, and I promise to clean them up all nice and swish before I put them back. They'll probably be better off with me instead of 'Uncle' Rick anyway.

**NICO**

Nico's birthday had sucked so far. 17 at last, and everyone still treated him like the little kid he had been a few years ago. Sure, he had been through a lot, but everyone kept treating him like he was broken. Well, he supposed no one could go through losing their sister and then Tartarus without ending up a little damaged. But what he couldn't stand was everyone acting like he was a fragile little china doll and couldn't handle himself.

And it might have been a little shallow, but wasn't it custom for at least -one- person to get you a gift on your birthday? He was the only one in the training pit this late at night, everyone else either sleeping in their cabins or preparing to do so. The summer night carried a cold breeze, teasing the beads of sweat dripping down his bare chest and back. He mind too terribly, though; the chill was kind of nice, to be honest.

He continued with his swordplay exercises, slashing at the dummies around him with his sword, the Stygian iron cutting through the hay like a knife through a wet paper bag. As he continuously circled, jumped, spun, slashed, and stabbed, the time continued to slip by until his PDA beeped. He paused midswing, panting slightly and growling in irritation at the interruption.

With an expert throw, he embedded his blade in the neck of a dummy and went to where his hoodie and t-shirt lay, digging his PDA out of the pocket and tapping in his password while he glanced at the time on the lock display. 23:15 and no recognition of the one day a year that was supposed to be all about him.

That's what hurt the most. His best friend in the world, Alex Dawneye, hadn't even bothered to stop by and bother him with one of his little quips. But he had been alone for so long, what was the point in even hoping that someone would think of-

"Hey there, mate."

Alex's voice scared the living Hades out of Nico, causing him to jump at least a good foot in the air. He turned on his heel and looked to where the son of Nike was perched on the end of Nico's sword, sitting delicately. Nico didn't want to brag, but the sword was apparently in deep enough that it counterbalanced Alex's slim frame.

Nico didn't consider himself attractive, especially when compared with people like Jason Grace or Percy Jackson, especially after his time in Tartarus. He was too pale, too thin, not muscular enough, and…well…the list went on. But Alex seemed to pull it off, his alabaster skin shining in the moonlight, though his red hair gleamed almost orange in the darkness. His shaggy hair dropped over his right eye, the left glittering a verdant green.

He sat in black skinny trousers, an orange t-shirt and a black bolero hoodie. But his mild attractiveness wasn't what drew the eye when someone looked at Alex. No, it was the giant sprite wings extending from his back, nearly transparent in the sunlight but clear at night. The orange and black gossamer appendages were folded and dropped at the moment, looking like a cape or something.

"I'm going to put a bell on your neck one day, Dawneye."

Alex grinned and hopped down to the ground, alighting gently and reaching behind his head to remove the sword from the training doll. "Oh, you do the same thing to everyone else. I am the only one in camp who can sneak up on you, Nico." Alex grimaced as the Stygian iron came into contact with his flesh, but unlike most demigods, he could stand it for a few minutes. "Take this, I do not feel like smelling like death."

As Alex tossed Nico the sword (which he caught expertly), Nico did his best to give his friend a puppy-dog look, trying to see if he could get Alex to remember his birthday without blurting it out like a desperate kid. "What's the matter, man? You look like someone kicked your hellhound." Alex was running his hand over the gashes in the training dummies, the wounds on them closing up where his fingers trailed.

"Are you kidding me, Dawneye? You're my best friend." He grabbed the towel he had brought with him, wiping away all the sweat so he wouldn't soil his shirt.

"Exactly, that means I get to see you shirtless and towelling off when other people get the scary eye. Probably because I treat you better than everyone else around here."

"Sure you do." He didn't mean to, but the sarcasm dripped off of his tongue like poison. He quickly shrugged his shirt on and grabbed his hoodie, slinging it over his shoulder. "Not like you haven't forgotten anything, recently."

"Oh come on, Nico. You are no fun since Tartarus. I wanted to play the Mickey some more before I gave you your present." That caught Nico's attention, and he whipped his head around to give Alex his patented 'you'd-better-not-be-kidding-me-Dawneye' look. "No, really, if I had not been spending all day getting it ready, I would have been by your side the entire time! I swear on by Nike's wings." Alex threw his arms up in a 'Y' formation, his signature "cross-your-heart" motion.

"You don't even have a package, though." Nico let the suspicion into his voice, though he hoped Alex could still catch the hope behind it.

"See, that is the kind of comment that gets you rubbish from Leo." Nico allowed himself a humoured groan, rolling his eyes at the innuendo he'd let slip. "But your present is not something that can be wrapped up in a box and handed over. If you want it, you are gonna have to follow me, Reaper." Alex rose into the air, his wings beating in a hypnotic, evanescent blur.

He darted towards the woods, going slow enough that Nico could keep up with him, but fast enough that the son of Hades would have to put some effort into it. "I hope it's worth the workout," he mumbled with an almighty sigh, beginning to chase Alex.

His friend led him through a complex series of twists and turns, sending friendly taunts back to goad Nico to catch up. Finally, he shot up in to the air, dashed forward and dropped into a spot that Nico knew housed a clearing of decent size. Taking a moment to catch his breath, he walked through the hanging willow branches to step into what looked like a picture out of his dreams.

All of the normal trees were replaced with pink cherry blossoms, a light scattering of the petals over the lush carpet of rabbit-moss. In the centre, where there used to be a gnarled, ugly stump, there sat a table for high tea, with four places set. Two of the chairs were already occupied, the closest high-backed piece of furniture in front of a place with a name card on it that read 'Nico'.

Percy and Jason were both there, sitting on either side of his place, and Alex flitted around with starlight streaming from his fingers, dotting the air around them with sparkling motes in all kinds of colours. He finished his circuit and moved to where he was eye-level with Nico, seeing as normally he was a good four inches below him, and pulled a silver circlet from some hidden pocket, gently resting it on Nico's head, pushing it tight against his brow. He giggled and back flipped, vaulting through the air to land in the seat across from Nico's, beckoning for the son of Hades to join them.

Nico paused for another moment, feeling wetness in his eyes at the amount of thought and care that had gone into this. Alex had probably spent all day moving dryads around and making deals with the satyrs to get that stump out and keep away all the wild animals and monsters. He blinked away the unformed tears and beamed at his three closest friends, moving over to take his seat.

"Happy birthday, Nico!" Percy brought out a gaudily wrapped box and set it next to Nico's platter.

"Yeah, happy birthday, di Angelo." Jason pulled out his own smaller parcel and sat it on top of Percy's.

"Happy Name Day!" Alex whistled sharply, and a train of presents floated in, at least twenty boxes piling up next to Nico's chair. "What with the series of tragic and unfortunate events you've suffered recently, I thought you needed some care and affection." He grinned cheekily, his pearly whites gleaming in the rainbow light.

"G-guys…" Nico couldn't help himself and teared up this time, wiping his face with the back of his hand. "Y-you did-didn't have to do this."

"Oh please, we're your friends. It's what we're supposed to do." Percy reached over and patted the back of Nico's hand, smiling gently. "Besides, you should never spend your birthday alone." Instantly, Nico's eyes flashed to Alex, and he managed to catch the flash of sadness that ran over his face. "You've got to get used to the idea that people still care for you."

"Yeah, so when are we eating, Alex? You told us to skip dinner." Jason wasn't very good with sentiment, and Nico's stomach rumbled as if to agree with his statement.

"Oh fine, you people and your appetites. Eat up!" He clapped and lids appeared on the empty platters before them, covering them entirely. "You know the deal, just say what you want and lift the lid. It'll be there. Oh, before I forget….drink!" He twitched his nose and wine glasses appeared before them, a deep red liquid filling them slowly. "We can switch to something else later, but it's tradition that you get some wine on your birthday."

Alex actually had excellent taste in wine, and that was what had originally bonded them. When Nico had run away last year, he had managed to get a cheap bottle and was trying to drown his sorrows since everyone had forgotten he'd existed. Alex had found him, and fussed instantly, not at the fact that a 16 year old was drinking, but the fact that he was using such a cheap brand.

The rest of the month he'd spent with Alex in his mother's estate, sipping wine every night and slowly getting healthy from where he'd not been taking care of himself. He supposed it had to do with Nike being the goddess of victory, but that month in Nike's manor home had been enough to turn his life around, and Alex had adopted him, essentially, even going so far as to come back to camp with him.

"Ummmm, Alex could you mayb-"

"Oh, I'm such a _foutu bordel_, I forgot." He nodded his head at Percy's glass, and the red liquid turned a beautiful shade of cerulean, matching Alex's right eye when he flipped his hair to cover the left. He smiled, and motioned towards the plates. "Dig in!"

Nico couldn't decide on anything to eat, not that he wasn't hungry, he just didn't like to eat. But…what was that dish that Alex had served so often at his mother's? Alex seemed to know what was in his mind, though, and whispered into his hand.

Almost immediately following his finish, an echo of his voice sounded near Nico's plate. "_Bouillabaisse et Tarte au Pistou_" He lifted the lid from his platter and the stew and tart sat there, steaming slightly and igniting his stomach. You wouldn't normally expect a seafood stew and egg tart to taste well together, but through some sorcery, the French had managed to succeed. Alec leaned close to his own plate and whispered, lifting the lid to reveal an identical dish.

Percy opened his lid to reveal pizza and macaroni, where Jason opened it to reveal spaghetti Bolognese. Alex raised his glass of wine and stated, "A toast to Nico di Angelo, son of Hades and my best friend. May your name day be glorious, both now and for one hundred years! _Victoire briller sur vous et votre acabit, et peut les étoiles briller sur votre nom_!" The French was lost on Nico, though his knowledge of Italian was enough that he could guess it had to do with Victory shining brightly on him or something.

Percy and Jason drunk deeply as Alex sipped lightly at his glass, lowering it and inclining it in that particular manner that indicated it was now polite for Nico to drink. He took his glass and raised it into the air, accepting Alex's toast before taking a sip, the wine bitter on his tongue at first, but sweet going down and with a pleasant aftertaste.

"So why is it exactly that you speak French so well, Alex?" Percy wasn't above speaking with his mouth full, though blue pizza was entertaining to see being eaten. And his boorishness carried with it a certain manly charm.

"Victory is not a Greek concept, my dear Percy. It has existed since the dawn of creation itself, and as such, has always been present. Mother and I often use it to converse around others, seeing as few people speak it."

"But what do you do if you want to talk about something private around someone who's French?" Jason was a bit more polite, waiting until he finished his question to shovel another mouthful in.

"Oh, we speak every language. However, to address your question, we use Japanese, French, and Ancient Egyptian, mostly." Alex said it as though it were no big deal, delicately slicing his tart and forking small bites into his mouth. Everything about him looked delicate, as though his features would be more at home on a porcelain doll than a human being.

They chatted idly, their glasses never dropping too empty before refilling, the jokes getting slightly baudier as they began changing the food on their plates to desserts. It was about his third glass of wine when Nico realised that he was tipsy, which was an unusual sensation. Normally, he didn't hit this state for long enough to notice it, just shovelling past it in an attempt to get completely and utterly smashed. Percy and Jason, however, could not hold their wine, and were giggling at everything that Alex said.

Alex, though he couldn't have weighed more than 90 pounds, continued swirling the wine in his glass, Nico estimated it was about his eighth, speaking as though it were his first. Soon, the plates emptied, and the wine disappeared from Percy and Jason, replaced with a bubbling brown soft drink. Alex occasionally let his eyes slide over Nico, making sure that he wasn't too far gone.

But Nico could hold his alcohol pretty decently, and though this was an amasing wine that Alex must have nicked from Dionysus himself, he would decide when he'd had enough. The conversation began to die down, Percy and Jason busy chugging down their pop as though there was no tomorrow, Alex humming a complicated melody under his breath.

"H-hey, yyyyouuu." Percy pointed to the left of Nico, eyes slightly glazed. "Y-y-you should open y-your presents now." His words slurred slightly, and Jason belched an agreement.

"Well, it would not be a name day without it, would it?" Alex laughed, the sound seeming to draw silver lines through the air around them. "Go and open mine first, you should like them."

And Alex couldn't have been more correct. He received the latest Mythomagic expansion packs (the complete sets), a wide array of new clothes, a laptop and a top-of-the-line mobile (Alex swore they wouldn't attract monsters and would always work, that they were hotwired into his own personal wireless network), and then he had one more gift left from Alex, which the son of Nike still held in his hands, a small box carefully hand-wrapped.

The difference was instantly noticeable, as Alex did most everything with his magic, his wrapping skills were sub par, and an excess amount of tape had been used before being topped with the frilliest ribbon that Nico had ever seen. "Err, how about you two next? This is sort of a special gift." It was the first time Nico had ever seen Alex look embarrassed, a flush entering his ivory cheeks.

"S-s-sure, open miiiiiiiiine, Nic-y-nic-y-nic-y-nic." Jason laughed at his own words, Percy joining in and slamming the table with his fist. Alex rolled his eyes, but the antics drew a giggle from Nico…though that could have just been the wine talking.

Jason had given him a black pendant that he said had the power to summon shadows anywhere in the world once a day, at least that's what Nico thought he said. Percy gave him a silver scarf that he promised would make him invisible to monsters that couldn't already smell his rank pits.

Nico smiled at the thoughtful gifts, never mind the fact that his two friends were pissed as newts. They all stood and Jason and Percy wandered off to the side, entranced at some pink lights glittering just within their arms reach. As they began singing some sort of impromptu drinking song, Alex tapped his shoulder.

"Err, I have never wrapped a present before, so it is a bit tough to get open but…err…" Nico accepted the box and did something he couldn't have done without a bit of French bravery in his system, and kissed Alex's cheek.

"I never thanked you for being so *hic* nice to me and taking me *hic* in, Daw-*hic*-neye." The hiccups came on without warning, but Alex giggled, so Nico wasn't embarrassed, nor did Alex seem perturbed at the display of affection. Nico liked guys, but as for the three here, he could only wonder. Well, Percy and Jason had girlfriends, but they were always so suggestive in their jokes…

He shrugged it off and attempted to tear into the packaging, though it took him an entire two minutes to get the ribbon off. "Here, my little Reaper." Alex poked out his finger, which spat a small spark of starlight, almost like a box-cutter. With a grateful smile, Nico drew the extended digit along the tape in a passable attempt at a straight line.

He ripped open the box to reveal five feathers in five different colours resting on a bed of plush velvet, the downy gifts golden, silver, black, red, and white. "My mother has wings the colour of the rainbow, and she granted me these to give you. If you burn a feather, I will be able to come to you anywhere in the world and grant you anything your heart desires…up to my abilities, at least. No world peace or anything of that sort."

Nico couldn't trust himself to speak without making a royal fool of himself, so he pulled Alex up by his armpits, hugging him tightly with his hand clasped around his other wrist at the base of the son of Nike's wings. Immediately, Alex returned the embrace, wrapping his arms around Nico's neck. They stayed like that for a moment until they were greeted by catcalls from Percy and Jason.

"Hey, Ni-Nico, come give us a kiiiiiiiiiissssssssss!" Percy had his arm wrapped around Jason's shoulders, using him as a support to keep from falling. "Come on, you know you waaaaaant it." He waggled his hips suggestively, getting an uproarious laugh from Jason, but drawing a cold chill up the back of Nico's neck as he set Alex back down, hastily wrapping his arms around himself.

"Do not worry about them, Nico." Alex frowned, his wings folding and unfolding anxiously. "OI, YOU TWO! STOP ACTING LIKE LITTLE TWATS AND GET YOUR ARSES OVER HERE!" When Nico gave him a shocked look at the language, Alex offered an apologetic, sheepish grin. "I speak Drunk, too."

Sure enough, Jason and Percy managed to stagger over, but it seemed that Percy wasn't done. As soon as he was within striking distance of Nico, he lunged, grabbing Nico's arm and placing the son of Hades hand on his…

"PERCY!" Nico wrenched his hand away, feeling hurt and taken advantage of.

"Oh, shaddup, Nico. Little birdie told m-me your secret, he did." Nico felt his little buzz disappear entirely as his face drained of colour completely.

"J-Jason? Is-is he telling the truth?" The son of Jupiter looked abashed but nodded, too drunk to truly care. Nico had never felt more betrayed, and the food he'd just eaten roiled around in his gut, ready to come back up. "GO AWAY!"

The grass around him started to wither and die, the motes of effervescent light around him turning monochrome as he began to break down, his power escaping him. "Nico, calm do-" Nico swung his fist and managed to connect with Alex's cheek, sending the boy sprawling.

"GET! OUT!" His scream could probably be heard all the way back at the Big House, but he already realised he'd messed up. The look on Alex's face was like a dog that had just been kicked, a look of absolute betrayal and confusion. Of course, that only made him feel worse, knowing he had caused Alex to feel the exact same way that he did.

He didn't get a chance to apologise, Alex sprung up, his jaw already forming a nasty bruise as he darted into the air, taking hold of Percy and Jason and flying away. As soon as they had made it out of the clearing, Nico broke down, falling to his knees and sobbing, draining the life of everything in the clearing. All the trees shrivelled as their leaves fell to the ground and withered, everything turning the bleak shade of winter that didn't belong in summer.

Sharp stones rose around him, creating a small shelter he gratefully crawled underneath. As soon as the first tears escaped his eyes, the snow began to fall, gently coating the ground in a carpet of white. He wanted to care, but at the moment, he didn't. He didn't care if he ever made it back to camp, or if he died of hypothermia in the secret grove that was only known to him and Alex. Fat chance of him coming back, though.

He laid his head down and bawled, abandoning himself to the darkest parts of his mind.

**ALEX**

He lay in the floor of the Hecate cabin, the only cabin besides Hades and Athena he was allowed to sleep in. But…he could not bring himself to venture into the black building, and no one in the Hecate cabin looked at him strangely when he walked in at two in the morning with a bruised jaw and tear streaks on his face.

Hecate, one of his three godmothers, had always favoured Alex, and granted him supernatural abilities to rival that of Pasiphaë, the wife of Minos. But tonight, the sibylline whispers coming from the stones could not soothe him. All he could think about was Nico, his little Reaper, the son of Hades that was probably still in the clearing.

"Alex, something is wrong. Talk to me." Lillith, a daughter of Iris who shared this cabin until the Iris cabin was built, dropped from her bunk to sit next to where Alex was lying, picking up his head and laying it on her lap. "It's boy problems, I can tell." She had no problem with anyone, Lillith. She was born of Iris and a hippie woman who helped her run the co-op the goddess of light and rainbows was so famous for.

And so Alex told her, his voice low enough that only Lillith could hear. He told her about meeting Nico in an alley in London, taking him home to his mother's manor in Paris and slowly healing him and beginning to care for him as he did. When he attempted to describe his feelings for Nico, she giggled at his pauses and awkward phrasing, but he had no words to explain the tightness of his gut or the desire to keep Nico smiling. It was nothing he had experienced before. He told her that Nico was the reason he had come to Camp Half-Blood in the first place. He told her about the party tonight, and the disastrous events that had happened.

And Lillith never spoke, instead running her fingers through his thick hair, combing it out with her pianist fingers. She always emanated a small glow, the light shifting soothingly through the spectrum of visible light, making her a perfect nightlight. And when Alex finished his story, she sat him up, concern on her face.

"I won't lie, Alex. You need to go to him now. Something's making it cold out there, and he won't survive a night in it, child of Death or not." She held out her hand and a ball of red light formed, emanating heat in small waves. "I can't tell you what will fix it, but my intuition is never wrong. Go to him." She pushed the ball forward, and it floated forward until it entered his chest.

Lillith had never led him astray before, and he did not believe she would now. He jumped up, running out the door and immediately taking off, flying into the woods. He knew the way, and he knew he had to make it fast.

When he arrived at the clearing though, there was a giant lotus of obsidian stone emanating from approximately the location that Nico had been in last night, blocking any access but allowing the freak snow storm to fall through cracks, where it would freeze anything inside this stone death trap.

With a snarl, he raised his hand and summoned his pole arm, Starreach. The five-foot long ebony staff was tipped with two foot long blades of pure starlight on either side of it, and he wasted no time in slashing his way through. Nico may have acted without thought, and he may have struck Alex, but it did not effect the fervent blows that struck gashes through the fortress. The going was slow, but he continued as well as he could, intent on saving the boy at the centre.

At least two hours passed, and though he inched his way through, inches piled together. Finally, he cut through the last wall and found his target. The moonlight peeking over his shoulder showed Nico pale and blue-lipped, shivering fiercely. There was no way he would survive a trip back to camp, even if they flew. Alex had to make a decision, and fast.

**NICO**

Nico wasn't sure why he was warm. He knew it had started snowing last night, and the last thought he'd had before he had drifted off was that his face was turning blue. He didn't bother opening his eyes, maybe he was dead. Maybe it was all over. But this warmth was nothing he'd felt in the Underworld before, nothing he was familiar with.

Then something brushed against his front with a feathery touch and he knew he couldn't be dead. His eyes opened with a start, and he looked down to see a field of red hair. The gradual fortress of stone that had grown around him, guarding him from monsters and outside intrusion, had several holes blasted through it, leading straight to the middle where he lay.

He didn't remember Alex falling asleep with him, and he could only guess that he'd sieged the stone last night and found Nico near frozen. Alex was always warmer than usual, but this comfortable heat he was giving off was far more than his normal. But his attention wasn't on the fact that he was alive. His attention was on the fact that Alex had come back, and even snuggled into Nico's sleeping form, curling up so that Nico formed a protective curve around him, effectively warming them both doubly well.

Alex had come back.

Gingerly, Nico raised his head and grimaced when he saw the ugly bruise plastered visibly on Alex's cheek, though his face was serene. He didn't know what time it was, his presents were more than likely useless after the freak snow last night, never mind the fact that he'd killed everything in the clearing. His PDA was in his jacket…but Alex was on top of the pocket that held it.

He supposed that there was no harm in laying like this for a while, though he couldn't shake the incredible guilt that was pressing down on his shoulders. This was his best friend, but…not just his best friend. Nico had had a crush on Percy…basically since he'd met the guy. But Alex…with Alex it was just so easy. It was never anything forced, they went back and forth without any hesitation, any awkwardness.

And Alex didn't seem surprised when Nico's cover had been blown last night, as though he'd known the entire time. And when Alex had tried to intervene before anything bad could happen, Nico had hit him. He had hurt the one person he realised cared for him at least as much as Nico cared for him. "Why is life so difficult?" He muttered into the darkness of the stone around them, forgetting the sleeping figure pressing softly against his front.

"Because life is never easy." Nico gasped at Alex's voice, his eyes still closed though it was clear by his breathing that he was awake. "If you thought it was, then it is time you finally learned that it never was and never will be. I should know, I have lived long enough to experience more than my fair share of unfairness." Alex scooted backwards, pressing himself tighter against Nico against the cold.

"Wh-what're you talking about, Dawneye? We're the same age."

Alex laughed, but there was no mirth in it, just a cold sound that rang of bitterness and despair. "No, we are not. Nike has only ever had two children. Death is not an option for us, Nico. Death means defeat, and defeat simply is not an option." He squirmed uncomfortably. "I am sorry that I have made it so awkward between us now, but I suppose it is time that I explain everything properly."

He didn't turn to face Nico, his face still looking into the darkness surrounding them. "I was born a long time ago, Nico. Far longer than I care to admit. I am almost as old as your father." That drew a gasp from Nico. Alex couldn't possibly….he'd seen Alex grow older, he'd seen Alex age. "My sister and I share a strange immortality, but it is there.

"You see, Nike knew the cost of being such an important goddess. She knew that she could not have all of the children she hoped for, so she begat my sister and I before Zeus rose to power. After she sided with him in the war against the Titans, he ruled that she could never give birth, or side in another conflict, as she was simply too pivotal a piece for any one side to control fairly. But when he found out that she had already bore us, he flew into a wild rage.

"He attempted to destroy us countless times, but our mother gave us her truest blessing, and we would rise up again if we were to be destroyed. We could be killed, but we could not remain dead." Nico frowned at that, the thought of something not staying dead instantly bringing monsters to mind. "It is not the same as the monsters though, Nico. You see, I have not always been the boy I am now. Every time we are reborn, we are different. We have memories of our past lives, but we are not the same person we once were. Eventually, Zeus grew tired and ceased killing us, and my sister and I split ways.

"I remained as the Black Hand of Victory, and I cut down armies single-handedly. Those legends of an angel of death arising to wipe out an invading force? That is me. Until recently, I always took the same form for my mother, with black, feathery wings and a great flaming broadsword in my hand. However, she released me from service for this rejuvenation, determined to let me lead at least one life of my own free will.

"That is why I am not the tanned, black haired, perfect specimen the stories have always portrayed me as. It is why I appear as I do now. This is quite possibly the closest anyone has ever come to seeing my true form, even I." Nico frowned, but stayed quiet. "But my sister and I are linked, you see. If either of us dies, so does the other, and we are reborn.

"It is a terrible existence, Nico di Angelo. I have never let myself become attached to any mortal, for I am far too aware of the coil keeping you attached to this place of existence. I have seen your people come and go, while I always remain. I vowed never to let myself experience romance but…"

He trailed off, and Nico tightened his grip around his waist. "Th-that's horrible, Alex. I can't even begin to empathise…"

Alex chuckled warmly, "That is not even my true name. But I like it, so I have kept it for the longest time, and my sister humours me and keeps her name Alexis."

"It makes sense, though. You don't speak with contractions, and you know more than anyone possibly should, other than a god. You have this awesome magic, and you just…" The full capacity of Alex's speech finally hit him, and Nico was shocked into silence.

"H-how many times have you been rejuvenated, Alex?"

Alex squirmed uncomfortably, "I do not know, but I remember them all. I remember all I have ever been close to, from the first to my dear friend Agatha. She was my closest friend in my previous life, and an excellent mystery novel writer."

"I'm sorry, Alex."

"What for? You are at no fault in this matter, my little Reaper. The only thing you are guilty of is stealing more of my interest than I should have allowed, though you can not be punished for it."

"B-but…you can't love me if I'm going to die one day."

Alex sighed, "I can. It is…complicated, and I do not wish to speak of it now. But I have been alive long enough to gain my own sort of divinity, and am nearly as strong as the gods." The sky shook with thunder, but Alex was unrepentant. "You know I speak the truth of things, Zeus, and you know of what I speak. But I have never, and I do not believe I could ever."

The thunder boomed again, but was silent afterwards, leaving Nico confused as to what could have been discussed between the god and Alex. "So…where does that leave us?"

"I am not sure, Nico. I would like very much to live a life with you, but I do not think it would be fair to you, knowing now what you know." Alex spoke with an air of finality about everything, and Nico believed him when he said that he wanted to live a life with him. Alex didn't seem like the kind of person who would just enter something so serious light-hearted.

Nico had no answer that he believed would satisfy Alex's mind, at least none came to mind. Words seemed absolutely useless, especially now that he knew the truth. He'd always thought he was out of place in time, but Alex had it way worse than he did.

"Alex…" He didn't want to hurt Alex, but…he couldn't resist the feelings he had for him. "Look at me, please." At first the son of Nike refused to budge, but finally he slowly turned towards him. Nico wasn't the tallest person in camp Half-Blood, but Alex was one of the few here shorter than him, and it was shown when Alex buried his head into Nico's chest. "Please, Alex."

Alex refused to move, however, tucking himself closer to Nico protectively. Nico sighed, but it was adorable how Alex refused to listen. He managed to get his finger under Alex's chin and pull it upwards, forcing Alex to lock eyes with him. He caught his breath, tears were streaming down Alex's face, cutting streaks in the small layer of dirt that had formed overnight.

In the year he'd been friends with Alex, he'd seen him take gashes almost deep enough to cut all the way through his body, lose insane amounts of blood, break bones, and withstand direct blasts of magical energy. But he'd never seen Alex cry, and as he watched, the teardrops solidified halfway down his face to fall as diamonds onto the dead grass.

So, he pressed his lips against Alex's, and held them there. He pushed as much emotion as he could to the shorter boy as he could, feeling some of the crushing weight on his chest lift as he did. As he broke the kiss, he opened his eyes and saw Alex do the same, his hair finally falling down the middle of his face and revealing both of his eyes. A shudder ran through Nico's body as the mismatched colours locked with Nico's own brown eyes.

"N-nico, I-I…I do not-"

He hushed Alex with another kiss, this one gentler, just a gentle brush on the lips. "I don't care, Alex. I've hurt so long over Percy, but been completely fixated on him. I didn't even see what was right in front of me. You had no reason to bond with me, but you still did, and you worked your way into my heart."

And with a start, Nico realised he was confessing all of this as a shot in the dark. Alex had never admitted to liking boys, or really anything. Alex had always been an enigma, standing apart from normal people. Nico hadn't even realised how he felt about Alex until he woke up this morning, and that was just because Alex had initiated contact.

Alex was quiet, his eyes dropping back to Nico's chest. He was quiet for a long time, and Nico felt something like a lead blanket drape over his shoulders, and his mouth drooped. "I have never done anything even close to this, Nico. I have rarely made friends, and never have I thought of romance being a part of my life." His voice was a whisper, and Nico had to strain to hear it.

"I'm sorry, Alex, I understa-"

"-BUT." Alex interrupted. Alex never interrupted during a conversation. "I am willing, if you are, to explore this. I do not know how it will work, but I know that the going will be slow, glacial in fact. I do not even know how to address you, my Reaper."

Nico noticed the hint of possession in Alex's voice and smiled. Even without any knowledge of romance, Alex knew that Nico was his, and he was Nico's. And…Nico didn't mind. "How about boyfriend?"

Alex looked back up at Nico, "That would be…spectacular." And Nico kissed him again, Alex's soft lips melding almost perfectly against Nico's own.


	2. Chapter 2

**Death is not an Option**

I hold no copyright on the Heroes of Olympus series (owned by Rick Riordan), or any of the characters, places, events, etc. referenced within this fan fiction. It is purely for the purpose of entertainment, and the only original work involved is listed in 'Defeat is not an Option: Character List'. I'm just playing with the toys, and I promise to clean them up all nice and swish before I put them back. They'll probably be better off with me instead of 'Uncle' Rick anyway.

**NICO**

It took a while for them to clear away what Nico thought had been stone. However, now that the sun was shining on the giant walls, they revealed themselves to be bones. Even Alex was taken aback by it. However he didn't say anything bad, instead choosing to slice through the monolith at its base, Nico sending the bones back down when they were an orderly pile of rubble.

By the time they finished, it was about midday, and the clearing was almost back to normal, Nico apologising to whimpering dryads as Alex handed them thermoses of warm soup and blankets. Finally, they collected Nico's presents (which were miraculously unharmed) and began making the trek back to the camp. They walked slowly, the conversation between them as easy as it had been before…this morning. Before they had agreed to call each other boyfriend.

It still made Nico's stomach flutter, that thought. He was from the 1940s, and what he felt now would have had him locked into a mental institution back then. And people nowadays still weren't the kindest to homosexuals, but Alex didn't seem to care about any of that. Alex didn't seem to care about public backlash, instead inquiring about the interior of the Hades cabin, discussing where he could move his things.

"It's not that I don't love Aunt Hecate, but the cabin is always a bit…foreign to me. None of her kids really accept me, because I'm not her child." He shrugged, instantly moving away from the topic entirely and taking half of Nico's parcels, smiling sweetly at Nico's refusal to let him carry anything.

"So, Nico, do you have anything to say? Any questions at all? I mean, I have been initiating most, if not all, of our conversation." It wasn't accusative, it was an actual question. Nico wasn't used to someone taking a genuine interest in him, but he supposed he would have to get used to that if he was going to make this work.

"Actually, there's only one thing I've ever wondered. Why are you so light? I mean, do you not have bones? If a regular person weighed as much as you did, they'd be sent to rehabilitation for anorexia." Alex laughed, and Nico's heart did a flip-flop. The sound was magnificent, like the pealing of bells and water rushing over stones and stars shining onto flowers.

"I must admit, my Reaper, that that was not the question I had believed you would ask." He paused for a moment, chuckling lightly. "As you know, regular people, as you like to call them, do not possess the capability to fly, the obvious exceptions being our friends the children of Zeus." He spread his wings, flapping them a few times before they folded and dropped again. "If a regular person were to have wings, they would be simply for show, not at all practical. Your bones are too solid, you see.

"Like a bird, my bones are completely hollow, which keeps me warmer when I have to fly, and allows me move as quickly and quietly as I do. I also have air pockets, in addition to my lungs, that allow me to hold large amounts of air, which makes breath holding competitions quite unfair. One deep breath, and I can stay underwater for at least half an hour without strain." Nico was sure Alex could have gone on longer, and would've loved to hear it, but they both stopped in their tracks as they looked ahead. Chiron stood, bow slung across his back and arms folded, looking extremely upset…or disappointed, one of the two.

"You two need to follow me to the Big House, now." His deep voice was hard to read, but wasn't one you used to wish someone good luck. He turned and quickly moved away, leaving Alex and Nico to struggle to keep up with their arms loaded.

As they entered the camp, Alex made a strange assortment of bodily tics, winks, blinks, twitches, and gestures, and a large box began floating in-between him and Nico. Nico smiled gratefully and dropped his parcels, the box sealing itself after Alex did the same and floating lazily towards the cabins.

They walked along behind Chiron, and as they passed further through the camp, Nico became aware of the people staring at them, pointing and whispering instantly bringing up some of his old defences. Death glares were shot out, but they had little to no effect on the mass of people now watching their progress.

By the time they had made it to the Big House, it seemed as though everyone in camp were huddled around the large building, each person muttering something to their neighbour or giggling. Nico hadn't felt this self conscious in years, but was not as concerned for himself as for Alex. As Chiron made his way inside, Alex turned around and looked back at the throng with the most confused look Nico had ever seen.

"Why do they stare at us like this, Nico? It is as if we are attractions at a local _cirque_." Nico knew exactly why, but he didn't want to hurt Alex. "What are you looking at?" His voice rang over the crowd, which immediately burst into a mixture of laughter, giggles, and taunts.

"SHUT UP! GET IN HERE, YOU TWO!" The unmistakable voice of Mr. D. boomed over everything else, the very ground shaking. The crowd dispersed almost instantly, everyone suddenly remembering they had an archery class or chores to do. Nico gulped, and Alex shrugged, holding the door open for the son of Death as they entered into the dark house.

**ALEX**

Alex and Nico made their way into the sun room of the Big House, where Dionysus sat in a large chair directly across from a couch where Percy and Jason were seated, both with confusion written on their faces. A single dryad was near the fire with Chiron, still sniffling and shivering. The absence of soup and a blanket meant that this was one that Alex had missed, which was not a happy feeling for him.

Nico sat down on the couch, and Alex made for the dryad, reaching into the Rift to pull out another thermos and a particularly thick quilt, making sure the little pink-haired girl was comfortable. She thanked him quietly and muttered an apology before Dionysus cleared his throat, causing Alex to turn around and see Dionysus jabbing his thumb towards the couch.

"My apologies, sir." Alex jumped up from his crouched position and hurried over to sit in-between Percy and Nico, since the latter had purposefully sat on the very edge of the sofa to avoid contact with Percy. As Alex settled in, Dionysus summoned a can of Diet Pepsi and popped the top, taking a large swig before setting it down in midair, where it floated by itself.

"Fifteen."

Alex looked at his companions bewilderedly, but no one spoke up, each aware of the anger that could pop up from Dionysus at any time. The god of wine instead stared at them for a few minutes, taking drinks from his pop every so often. Finally, Alex could not stand it any longer, so he questioned, "Fifteen, sir?"

Dionysus twisted his mouth at Alex, and he instantly shrunk back into the couch. He had entered camp hearing stories of how cruel the camp councillor could be, but the god had never treated him poorly. "Fifteen rules were broken last night, big ones too. What were they, Chiron?"

"Breaking curfew, bewitchment of a natural area, secret meetings, underage drinking, wanton display of demigod powers, self endangerment, intoxication, gross display of sexual misconduct, fighting out of specified fighting locations, bewitchment of a natural area, satyr bribery, harm to dryads, relocation of dryads, breaking the weather, and attempting to cover it all up."

"Now don't get your panties in a bind, kids, I'm here to talk to you. I'm not sure about punishment, we'll see what happens after our little chat. So, I'll give each of you a chance to explain. Starting with Jordan Grates."

Jason blinked several times and looked around before Percy elbowed him in the side, and finally began talking. He told Dionysus how Alex had approached him two days ago with a plan for a big party for Nico's birthday, and how he had asked one of the Hephaestus kids to forge a nice locket, then gotten the Hecate kids to enchant it for him. He continued to describe how he had intentionally avoided Nico all day to avoid ruining the surprise before he and Percy met up to leave and set up for the party at ten thirty. He talked about how he and Percy had gotten lost, because they had misread the map Alex had drawn them, and how they had helped Alex move the furniture to the centre of the clearing when he'd arrived. He talked about Nico's arrival and Alex's last minute decorations, and the food and drink they had had. He paused at the wine part, giving an apologetic look to Alex before continuing to describe what had happened after, leaving out the bit where Percy had made Nico touch him, though Percy squirmed uncomfortably when Dionysus stared at him during the part where the piece of the story should have been, as if he already knew. He told Dionysus about unintentionally outing Nico, and how Nico had reacted when he found out, leaving out the part where Alex had been hit, though the large bruise on Alex's cheek was certainly an indicator that something was missing. He talked about how Alex had flown them home and how he'd taken each of them to bed after forcing them to drink some sort of clear liquid, which had made Jason throw up this morning. Then he told Dionysus how Chiron had approached him and Percy while they were doing cabin inspection and taken them up to the Big House, and that was where his story ended.

Dionysus nodded, glancing over at Chiron who nodded as well, and then the god pointed at Nico, "Now you."

Nico's story was a little shorter. He confirmed what Jason had said about the three of them avoiding him through his entire birthday, then told Dionysus about how Alex had approached him and then led him into the woods to the clearing. He talked about the party, and the food and the drink, not pausing at the wine as Jason had. He talked about opening his presents, thanking Jason and Percy again as he did so, though he left out the final gift that Alex had given him. He talked about how he had hugged Alex and then what had gone down between him and Percy, though he, too, left out the grabbing. He talked about how he lost grip of his powers, and how he had accidentally hit Alex before describing how Alex had flown out of the clearing with Jason and Percy. Then he said he passed out, and when he woke up, Alex was there. He didn't mention any of what they had gone through that morning, instead talking about the clean-up and how Alex had taken care of each of the dryads before restoring the clearing to how it had been before the party, reviving everything that Nico had unintentionally killed. He finished by telling Dionysus about how they had been on their way back to camp when Chiron had found them in the woods.

"So far, you both are liars. Jackson, go."

Percy didn't leave anything out. His story was the same as Jason's, though he owned up to what he had made Nico do, describing how he had been acting under the influence of the wine, and how he would never have done that to such a good friend if he had been thinking clearly. He apologised several times, in fact, to Nico before Dionysus cleared his throat and forced him to continue. His version of events matched with Jason's, including the clear liquid and the sickness this morning before Chiron had taken them from sparring practise to the Big House.

"Well, you may be stupid, Peter Jackson, but at least you're honest. I'm not going to punish you three, in fact. You made stupid choices after drinking what you couldn't handle, which I know about all too well. However, I lied, and you are going to be punished. You've got dish duty for three weeks." He waved for them to go, and Jason and Percy hurried out of the room, Percy stopping at the door to look back at Nico, who was still sitting next to Alex.

"You can go now, di Spaghettio." Nico frowned, and instead moved closer to Alex, taking the son of Nike's hand in his. Alex smiled, the feeling he did not have a name for was back, filling him with the same feeling he got when he listened to perfectly harmonised music. Dionysus and Chiron sighed simultaneously, the dryad in the corner giggling softly. "Fine then. You talk now, Alex."

And so Alex told the entire story, from beginning to end. He left nothing out, even recounting the story from this morning perfectly, squeezing Nico's hand when the other boy blushed or paled. When he got to the part where Chiron took them to the Big House, he stopped for a moment, biting his lower lip gently. "I did not know so many rules were broken, and I apologise for not informing you of my plans. However, surprises are much better if only a small amount of people know, you see. _Je suis raiment désolé_, Lord Dionysus, but I was only thinking in the best interest of…my…boyfriend." The word was strange coming from his tongue, it was an odd fit, but the look on Nico's face was well worth the odd phrase.

Dionysus was quiet for quite some time, both Chiron and the dryad coming and whispering in his ear several times. "Well, this is unusual, not something I'm used to dealing with. I mean, don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with being…what are they calling it now? Gay?" He rolled his eyes, muttering something into his Diet Pepsi in ancient Greek. "Point is, I've not seen this in a long time. You two aren't going to get an easy time, and it's my job to advise you and take care of you, whether I like it or not."

"As you saw today, the campers were a mix of different responses. If you can't handle things, I would advise you to break things off…publicly at least, for your own sake." Alex frowned at that, anger washing over him for some reason.

"But what do I care of opinions not important to me?"

"Alex…" Nico made to say something, but Alex silenced him with a look.

"What I feel belongs to me, and the same may be said for Nico. It is not the right of others to judge us, nor to force their beliefs onto us. If either of us felt differently, things would not have happened as they did. And if one or more of the campers has a problem, then they are free to keep it to themselves, or share it with me-"

"That's what we're concerned about, Alex." Chiron's hooves plodded against the floor as he walked over and put his hands on Alex's shoulder. "There are teenagers out there with weapons. The last thing we need are for things to come to violent terms."

"Mayhap you forget, centaur, but I am the son of Nike, goddess of Victory. I pity the one who believes he stands a chance crossing blades with me." Alex stood, and his wings unfurled, the gossamer appendages shimmering before turning into the glossy, ebon angel wings they once were. "I will show no fear in defending myself and Nico, for we are no different than they, and I will be quick to remind them that they are no match for me."

"Yes, that's all well and good, but if you maim a camper, there might be a problem with your living arrangement here, Dawneye." Alex was one of the few campers whose name Dionysus did not intentionally slur. "Don't go picking fights, and don't hurt them too irreparably, that's all I ask. Now get out of my face, you two, it's time for pinochle, and the last thing I need is hormonal boys all over the couch while I'm trying to concentrate. And put those things away. Now, do you know the game, dear?" He completely disregarded Alex and Nico to address the satyr by the fire, who was looking much better now.

Alex's wings changed back to their normal form as Nico stood and took his hand, smiling that little crooked half-smile that Alex liked so much. Chiron walked them to the door, the front yard clear of the mob that had been there this morning. "Remember what we said here, today, Alex. You too, Nico. And please remember that Mr. D. and I are both here to talk if you need to." He closed the door on that note, his usual happy tone in his voice. They made their way to the edge of the porch before the door opened again, Chiron poking his head out. "And don't forget, we can't bar you from you-know-what, but keep it private."

"What do you mean, Chiron?" Alex turned to look at the centaur, but the old man simply shook his head playfully and closed the door. "Nico, what was he talking about?" Nico turned an intense shade of crimson and opened his mouth, but nothing escaped but a squeak. "Nico, what was he talking about?"

**NICO**

So, his boyfriend had no idea what sex was. Nico filed that away under useful knowledge that he never would've guessed in a million years. Alex hadn't stopped asking him what Chiron meant, and every time sent a wave of embarrassment through him so spectacular that he couldn't speak. Finally, he turned and shut Alex up with a quick kiss, the son of Nike not repeating the question again.

They were in the Hades cabin, Alex setting some of his things up. He didn't really have much with him, but the place looked a little less gloomy after he was finished. The one bed in the cabin now had a black and orange checkerboard quilt and a huge addition of pillows, the walls now housed different paintings Alex had done over the years, each of people who were important to him in previous lives. A young Cleopatra, Queen Elizabeth III were the first and foremost, and true to his word Agatha Christie was the very last. A huge, blank canvas was set up in the corner, Alex saying he hadn't decided what would go on it yet.

The glittering motes of multicoloured starlight had made their appearance only a few seconds after Alex had walked in, seeming to spawn from his wings. Most important to Alex, though, was a gilded silver door that he had set in the corner. "It can take me anywhere." That was all he would say on the subject, though the symbol of Nike (a winged wreath) was emblazoned on it.

Now they sat in the floor, back to back, Nico looking through his new Mythomagic cards and Alex lost in a book. "Nico, what is an iPod?" It turned out Alex didn't know a lot of things, most of his knowledge of the mortal world subject to what his mother had thought important to teach him.

"Um, it's sort of a little box that can carry millions of song in mp3 form. I think the Stoll brothers have one, I'll see if I can borrow it later."

"And what's an em-pee-three?"

Nico laughed, but managed to get out, "It's the way that the songs have to be recorded to be able to be used on an iPod. It essentially makes them the size of a dirt speck."

"Ohhhhh." And with that they were back to normal. They had discovered that it was impossible for them to be alone anywhere but the cabin, since everywhere else people treated them like a zoo exhibit. So, they had made their way to the cabin and stayed there since they had finished talking to Chiron, Alex doing his best on his promise to be good.

"Isn't it time for dinner soon, dear?" Nico had been trying out different pet names for Alex all day, and none of them quite fit the bill, each feeling too awkward on his mouth or not sounding right. Dear was the best so far, but still not perfect. The new clock was in Alex's field of vision, and Nico was too comfortable to move around and look.

"What time do we normally have tea? I just go with you."

"I suppose it's normally around…" Nico remembered Alex used global time and made a quick calculation, "…twenty-hundred or twenty-thirty."

"Oh, then yes, it is twenty-fifteen. Let us go, I am surprisingly hungry." Alex stood suddenly, and Nico fell back with a surprised yelp, not having realised he was putting all his weight against his boyfriend. Alex laughed, the glorious sound echoing throughout the cabin as he turned to look at Nico, his upside-down-face hanging directly over Nico's.

"Come on, clumsy, let us go before we are missed." He extended a hand to help Nico up, and Nico took it, letting Alex use his surprising amount of strength to haul him to his feet. They linked hands and Alex raised his hood, the two of them walking out into the rain towards the food pavilion.

They were actually early, and immediately went to send their offerings to Nike and Hades, Alex spending a little longer than normal at the flames and tossing in a few extra offerings. "What was that, dear?" Alex smiled mischievously and mimed locking his lips with a zipper and key, taking Nico's hand and leading them to their favourite corner on the very edge of the pavilion. Alex lowered his hood and took his normal seat, the rain falling on him only as he settled in to eat. "Um, dear, you're getting wet."

Alex shrugged, "I like the rain. It is only water, after all, and it feels nice." He smiled and planted a kiss on Nico's cheek before turning back to his plate, some strange French dish that would probably cost three hundred dollars in a restaurant.

They ate in solitude for a while before their friends began showing up, Leo sitting to Alex's left and immediately digging into his plate. Annabeth was next, sitting on Nico's right and immediately giving him a hug and apologising for what Percy had done, that Jason had told her and she'd beaten up on Percy and not forgiven him yet.

Percy and Jason arrived at the same time, Percy sitting next to Annabeth and Jason near Leo, Annabeth immediately standing and moving to sit next to Jason. Lillith, oblivious to anything but the music from her ear buds, plopped down between Nico and Percy, Piper joining last to complete the circle, peering curiously at her seat next to Jason being occupied by Annabeth, but not saying anything.

"Congratulations, by the way!" Nico looked up to see Lillith smiling at him and Alex, clapping enthusiastically. "I've shipped you two for almost year and it finally came true." She turned towards Piper, "Don't you just love it when your OTP becomes headcanon?"

"Uh…yeah." It was clear from her voice that Piper had no idea what Lillith was talking about, but it was rare that anyone did.

"So you two are…you know…dating?" Annabeth was giving them an odd look, almost hopeful, really.

Nico looked to Alex, who had a confused look on his face. "Dating?" He met Nico's look and furrowed his brow. "Are we?" Nico couldn't hold it in any longer and burst out into laughter at the absurdity of the situation.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry." He struggled to draw breath as Alex began to giggle as well, rubbing Nico's hand underneath the table. "Yes, we're dating, dear. That's what it's called when people are boyfriend-girlfriend, girlfriend-girlfriend, or boyfriend-boyfriend. It means that we've dedicated ourselves to each other romantically, and are 'off the market'."

Comprehension flashed across Alex's face and he immediately nodded and beamed at Annabeth. "We are most definitely dating, then." Lillith joined in on the laughter then, having taken her ear buds out for the conversation, doing her best not to snort into her soup.

"Oh, so it's true then."

Alex turned and the smile instantly wiped from his face, his eyes narrowing to slits and his mouth pressing into a tight line. "What do _you_ want, _enfoiré_ _?_" Piper clapped her hands over her ears as Nico turned to look at the intruder.

It was Stephen Tran, the biggest moron in Ares cabin and Alex's arch-enemy. "Oh, I was just confirming the rumours, you little fairy." Immediately Jason and Percy had their hands on their weapons, but the insult was lost on Alex.

"For the last time, Tran, I am a human, not a mythical being that is three inches tall and resides primarily in Ireland. _T'es vraiment trop con, _how many times do I have to say it?"

"I don't know, you keep talking like a fairy, I'll keep calling you one." The confrontation in the making had drawn quite a gathering, and Chiron and Dionysus were staring from the high table, Nico noticed. "Besides, you've proven yourself a fairy now, dating this _guy_."

Alex stood and walked towards Stephen, waiting until he was within striking distance to shake his hair, spraying water all over the son of Ares. "And what is wrong with Nico and I dating, Stephen?" His voice was a deadly growl, but the pavilion was hushed and it carried. Everyone was frozen now, their eyes fixed on Alex and Stephen.

He stood and walked over to Alex, taking hold of his elbow and gently tugging him back towards the table. "Oh, of course, the fairy's little protector comes to save him, because he can't fight his own fight. I wouldn't expect any more from faggots like you two."

There were two sounds heard then in the pavilion, a collective intake of breath and a collective gasp. Nico immediately let go of Alex and turned to face Stephen, though the boy was six foot three and weighed at least two of Nico. "I'm sorry, want to run that by me again?"

Jason and Percy stood now, moving behind Stephen to stand between him and his minions, who were moving to provide backup for Stephen. "Oh, that's nice compared to what you did. You haven't even been dating for a whole day and you're abusive? Not only are you a faggot, you're a disgrace to every gay wad on the planet."

Nico reached for his sword but realised it wasn't there, it was propped against the door at the cabin. Stephen didn't miss the gesture and guffawed, patting his own war hammer, slung over his back. "What's the matter, girly boy? Afraid to get your hands dirty, or do you only punch guys smaller than you."

Nico growled, but he knew he couldn't take Stephen in a straight fight. Alex, however, stepped forward, gently pushing Nico backward by his chest. His wings flickered then changed, becoming the ebon angel wings that they had earlier in the day. Chiron stood, Nico saw, but Dionysus put his hand on the centaur's forearm, keeping him still. As Nico watched, Alex grew until he was at least seven feet tall, his complexion changing to a bronzed tan, his hair losing its brilliant, fiery sheen to match his wings.

His clothing changed too, his street clothes replaced with a set of silver armour that covered his left side completely, but only the major joints and weaknesses of his right. Then he extended his hand, a giant, flaming broadsword appearing instead of his normal pole arm. Suddenly, there was a wide circle around the two, everyone moving backwards, dragging tables and chairs with them to create room. Only Nico, Alex, and Stephen were left in the circle, even Percy and Jason backing up as they stared at this new Alex.

"I AM THE BLACK HAND OF VICTORY, TRAN. I DO NOT TOLERATE INSOLENCE, NOR DO I APPRECIATE INSULT TO THOSE I HOLD DEAR." His voice boomed with power, and suddenly Nico realised there was truth to his comment earlier in the day. 'I've power almost to rival the gods now…' Alex had not been boasting, and Nico could tell that he was still holding back, merely flexing his muscles to force Stephen to back up.

Alex's pointed his sword until the flames were only an inch away from Stephen's face. But the son of Ares was not known for his brightness, and he pulled his hammer, a wickedly spiked weapon not made for mercy, around to clash with Alex's sword, moving it away from his face.

"Finally." He swung his hammer as though it were made from paper, bringing it towards the side of Alex's head with lightning speed. Just when Nico was sure that his boyfriend was dead, the hammer was flying through the air. It finally lodged into the wall just above the high table, directly above Dionysus' seat, quivering slightly.

Alex looked bored, his sword having moved so fast that Nico hadn't even seen it. "YOU HAVE ATTACKED ME NOW, AND IT IS MY RIGHT TO TAKE YOUR LIFE FOR SUCH AN OFFENCE." The sword disappeared, and the air around Alex warped as he returned to his normal form, hovering and moving forward until he was face-to-face with Stephen. "However, if an apology is delivered to Nico immediately, I shall forget this incident occurred, and we may commence with our tea."

"I'll never apologise to a queer." He spat in Alex's face before pushing him to the side and running to Nico, catching the son of Hades before he could react. Stars burst behind Nico's eyes as Stephen's knee connected with his gut, and his fist came up to smash Nico in the face. Nico felt weightless for a few seconds, then he crashed against something, sliding and then falling and sliding again, nothing but pain existing in his mind.

"Nico!" The cry was echoed by all of his friends, but as he opened his eyes, he felt himself lifted up by his shirt, back against a pillar. Stephen was there, leering evilly before he punched Nico in the face again, causing his head to slam back against the pillar.

Then there was a sound that Nico never wanted to hear again, like a thousand stars exploding in unison and screaming in pain. Chiron was there in a heartbeat, wrenching Stephen away and pulling Nico into his arms, galloping back into the crowd. Nico saw Dionysus appear in a puff of purple smoke, but then his eyes closed of their own accord.

Nico began to lose consciousness then, and the last things he heard were a ripping sound and Stephen Tran screaming.


	3. Chapter 3

**Death is not an Option**

I hold no copyright on the Heroes of Olympus series (owned by Rick Riordan), or any of the characters, places, events, etc. referenced within this fan fiction. It is purely for the purpose of entertainment, and the only original work involved is listed in 'Defeat is not an Option: Character List'. I'm just playing with the toys, and I promise to clean them up all nice and swish before I put them back. They'll probably be better off with me instead of 'Uncle' Rick anyway.

**NICO**

Nico awoke in the infirmary, staring at Sasha Evens, the new Head of Apollo Cabin. "Don't move now, kid, you took a nasty beating." Nico had absolutely no objections, as each bit of him felt as though he'd been cut up and sewn back together. He was more perturbed by the fact that he was in his pants underneath the sheets than the fact that he was in the infirmary.

"Wh-what happened?" She was dabbing at his forehead with a foul-smelling green liquid, but it was doing an amasing job of dowsing the pain. She bit her lip, fretting over his arms and chest before ensuring he was properly tucked in and that the sun wasn't shining directly on his face. "Sasha?"

She sighed heavily, blowing a stray strand of her brown hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear when it fell back to the same position. "There was a bit of a kafuffle in the mess, and you were hit pretty hard." She sat on the edge of his bed, smiling softly at him.

She was a pretty girl, Nico guessed, with a symmetrical face and a long waterfall of hair. Her eyes took away from her beauty though. They were filled with sadness; she had seen more suffering and agony in her life that anyone should have to, even from an early age. She had only come to camp after seeing her family mauled by a rampaging manticore, and had since dedicated her life to healing.

"I hope the other guy looks as bad as me, then." He tried to laugh, but ended up coughing and having his body wrack in agony equal to the unquenchable fires of the sun. "Where is he, anyway?" Immediately her eyes filled with tears and she ran from the room, sobbing deeply. He sighed, not meaning to have hurt her feelings.

Slowly, he propped himself up to a sitting position, his eyes squeezed shut with the pain all over. Damn, what had hit him anyway, a freight train? He finally got to a position where the main was muted, and looked towards the door where she had left. The Big House's room for the infirmary bed was beautifully decorated, at least to someone who wasn't the son of Death. The bright, happy pastel colours made Nico wanted to vomit, and he turned to the open window to hopefully burn his eyes out on the sun.

He gasped, though, when he saw Alex leaning against the window, looking out with his back to Nico. "Alex?" The son of Nike stirred, and turned to smile at Nico, though his eyes were full of pain. "What's going on? Why did Sasha run away? Why didn't you say anything before now? What's wrong?"

He knew he was asking too much at once, but the questions tumbled out one after another, the last being the most important. He knew that haunted look in Alex's eyes, it was one he'd seen in the mirror too many times. Something was bothering his Alex, and Nico wanted to stab whatever it was in the face.

"How are you feeling, firstly, my dear Reaper?" Alex moved to the chair near the bed, and Nico noticed golden bracers on his forearms and shins, looking completely out of place on the son of Nike.

"I don't feel like a million dollars, to be honest. What're you wearing?" Alex grimaced and looked at his arms and legs, rolling his eyes.

"I may or may not be in trouble, but that is not the point. The point is that you feel better." He looked towards the door before moving his hands over Nico's body, his fingers barely touching Nico's bare chest. He closed his eyes and began muttering a haunting melody underneath his breath, a soft, silver light moving from his hands to envelop Nico's torso. It felt as though a cool wave was flowing through Nico's body, numbing the pain before heating up and filling him with energy. As Alex lifted his hands, Nico felt completely brilliant, except for a dull ache in the back of his head.

"Now, to answer your questions, you were hurt very badly, and you are in the Big House infirmary. She ran away because I do believe that she had a small crush on that boor. I didn't say anything before now because I assumed you were asleep, but I was too caught up in my own little world to actually check on you, I am ashamed to admit. And what is wrong? Nothing, dear." He smiled, but Nico knew Alex well enough to see that he was lying.

"Well, I do believe that is all I shall be allowed." Thunder boomed ominously outside, in direct opposition with the clear skies. "Fine, you may take me now. I had to see to him, though." Alex stood, golden light shimmering about his body, one that Nico recognised as summoning magic. Without a second thought, Nico reached out and grabbed Alex's wrist a split second before they were both blinded in a brilliant golden glare.

When Nico opened his eyes, he and Alex were standing in a place Nico had only been once before, the throne room of Olympus. Much to his chagrin, though, he was standing in nothing but his pants. Alex was staring at him in shock, not at his nakedness, but at the fact that he was there at all.

"Oh great, my son finally sees me on my throne here for the first time and he's nearly naked. Someone toss him some trousers!" Nico felt a flush run through his body as a pair of black trousers appeared in his hands, and hurried to put them on as he looked around.

"Alex, what's going on?" Alex cursed under his breath and pulled a length of medical tape from his hoodie, moving his hands as though they were shackled and binding the place on the back of Nico's head that was hurting. "ALEX DAWNEYE, YOU TELL ME WHAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW!"

Now that he was at least half-dressed, not hurting, and standing, Nico wanted some answers. "Yes, that is what we all wish to know." Nico froze as he heard the voice he had dismissed earlier and looked behind him and up, staring at a twenty-foot version of his dad. "Hello, son. Why aren't you in the infirmary? Don't you care for your campers any more, Dionysus?"

Mr. D was on the opposite side of Hades, and raised his Diet Pepsi, "Hey, if the kid is able to stand on his own, he doesn't need to be laying in a sick bed anyway." Nico blinked away the last remnants of the golden glare and looked around, surprised to see that the throne room was packed. Each of the thirteen gods sat on their thrones, and the space in-between and behind was completely packed with other gods. Nico recognised Persephone, Demeter, and Nike at a glance, and countless others that he had no name for.

"QUIET!" Zeus' voice boomed over the small amount of chit-chat that had been present, and a deathly hush fell over the crowd. "STEP FORWARD, SON OF NIKE." Nico noticed that Nike stood directly to the right of Zeus' throne, directly between him and Hera, Ares' throne moved to be on Zeus' left, where Poseidon normally sat.

"Alex Dawneye, as is the name of your choosing, you are charged with murdering a fellow demigod publicly, as witnessed by demigod and god alike. How do you plead?"

Alex's bracers shimmered in the torchlight, and Nico noticed chains stretching from arm to arm and leg to leg, restricting his movement to walking. He stepped forward, looking not at Zeus or his mother, but to Ares. "Guilty."

There was a mild uproar from the 'minor' gods not seated, but no visible reaction from any of the thirteen sitting. Nico noticed that Nike did not look worried, but leaned against Zeus' throne with a smug look on her face. Zeus spoke again, looking at the god of war. "Ares, it was your child that was slain, and it is to you that I give the power of judgement."

Ares was in his normal, scary biker outfit, and stared at Alex with a medley of emotion visible across his face. "Stephen was one of my best fighters, kid. You're gonna tell me what you did to him, and why you did it, or you're gonna fry where you stand." He lowered his shades to look at Alex as he made his threat, and Nico saw the flames burning where his eyes should have been.

Alex was silent for a moment, peering around the throne room. Every god was rapt without attention, Nico noted, leaning forward to hear what Alex might say. "You ask what I did to your son, as if you do not know. Why would you have me repeat the details?"

Ares shrugged, leaning back in his throne. "Humour me."

Alex sighed and gave Nico a wistful look. "Would you at least send Nico back to the camp? I do not wish him to be here in his present condition." Alex turned on the spot, and Nico realised he was standing on a circular platform, presumably to look at whichever god was currently addressing him. In this case, he turned directly towards Nico.

"My son is strong, child of Victory. Nico, do you want to stay or go?" It was the first time that Nico remembered Hades regarding him so casually, and he paused for a moment, biting his lip and crossing his arms.

"I want to stay, dad. I want to know what's going on, and what happened." He couldn't believe that Alex would intentionally murder anyone, though he knew that his boyfriend was more than capable of it.

Alex swivelled to face Aphrodite, who blurted out, "Oh, come here, Nico. I'll take a look at that nasty gash on your head and make sure you're comfortable." She gave Alex a sweet look and a wink before snapping her fingers. Nico felt a wrenching sensation in his gut before he realised he wasn't in the same place he had been. Now he was in Aphrodite's palm, looking down at Alex. She gently touched his shoulder, and he felt an amplified version of Alex's magic shoot through him, the bandages flying off of his head. When she removed her finger, he felt better than he had in years, as though he'd never been through Tartarus.

Alex gave Aphrodite a weak smile before he was turned back to Ares, who was opposite the goddess. "Okay, kid, now talk."

Alex sighed once more and sat, as though preparing himself for a long story. "Well, you should know that your children are not the brightest, Lord Ares." The corner of Ares' mouth twitched upward and he chuckled, nodding his head. "Of course, he was the instigator in this conflict, and any previous we have engaged in.

"In past occasions, I have broken a bone or left bruises, but such was not enough in this case. You see, I can abide attacks to my self, but I will not allow anyone to hurt…err…" He paused, and Nico thought he could recognise a faint blush on the back of Alex's neck. "Someone I care for." Nico registered movement from the corner of his eyes and turned in time to see Nike stiffening with shock, leaning forward.

Nico supposed this was the first time she had heard of Alex feeling any attachment towards any regular person, and hoped she wouldn't do anything crazy. Aphrodite gasped behind him, something loud enough for Nico to hear but not audible enough for any of the other gods. She turned her palm, and Nico looked up at her, watching as she looked back and forth at the people gathered. She looked at him, then Alex, then Nike, then Hades, and repeated, a wicked smile forming on her face. "No…" she muttered under her breath, "It couldn't be…"

Alex was continuing on the floor, and Nico turned his attention back to his boyfriend. "…and offered him a chance to apologise for his offence and stay his hand. But he would not stop. You see, I do not weigh much, it is simply how my body is. He spat in my face and pushed me aside, sending me flying into Annabeth Chase, who helped me to my feet and gave me a cloth to wipe my eyes.

"I heard thuds, and grunting, but I could not see anything. When I looked up, I saw Stephen attacking Nico, slamming him against a slab of rock and hurting in a way that would have killed him had I not intervened. Chiron barely beat me to him, and took Nico away, pushing Stephen towards me. When I took hold of him, I felt his shoulder bone crack from my grip as I spun him. I doubt he had time to register the pain of it, because I thrust my hand through his stomach and out his back, forcing him to his knees."

Alex didn't tell the story with any emotion, and his eyes were filled with the same hollow emptiness that Nico had seen in the Big House. "I have slain countless foes, but never had I felt such a deep hatred of a person before. I let go of his shoulder and pulled my hand from his torso. He was screaming the entire time, but he attempted to fight back, to his credit. He was surrounded by a red haze, which I assume was a failsafe blessing bestowed by your Grace at a previous time." Ares nodded, his jaw set to the side.

"Of course, I did not give heed to the fact that his wounds were healing faster than I could inflict them at first, I simply continued to hurt him. However, once I noticed that he was healing, I took full advantage. I began to rip him to pieces, at every joint, at every joining of his body. I ripped his manhood from him and threw it into the brazier, and watched as he screamed in pain the entire time.

"Soon I had all of his body parts laying before him, neatly organised. I let him watch as they twitched and squirmed, each surrounded by your blessing, attempting to get back to him. Then I ripped his head off. I do believe you received it shortly after breakfast this morning." He held his chin high, rebellious in what very well could've been his final moments.

Ares' face turned red, and he stood, moving until he stood directly before Alex, who rose from the air and flew upwards, though golden tethers shot from the ground to wrap around his ankles, forcing him to a stop at Ares' waist. The god of war kneeled down, looking at Alex through his sunglasses. "You did something that I haven't seen since the old days, when Olympus actually sat on Olympus." And with that he began laughing, smashing his fist against the marble floor as his booming laughter echoed throughout the throne room.

He stood and turned to walk towards his throne, sitting down and wiping a tear from his eye. It took at least five full minutes before he was able to contain himself, and when he could, he cleared his throat and turned his head to look at Nike. "I've got to admit, your kids still have it, girl. I don't think any of my kids could've done it better."

Nico looked at Nike properly for the first time as she smiled sweetly at the god of war, and noticed how much Alex looked like his mother. She was only fifteen feet tall at the moment, the shortest of all the gods present, but she was by far the most striking in appearance. Her wings, which Nico had always thought were white swan wings, were actually the prismatic rainbow wings that Alex had described, expanding from her shoulder blades and stretching to infinity.

Alex had obtained his doll-like features from her, though her hair was pure white, and she wore a permanent haughty expression. If he had to choose between the two, he'd have chosen Alex every time. Though…he supposed that was a given. She was wearing an elegant, flowing dress of gold, and had a rapier at her side.

"_Oui_, and alzo my son ees usually more tact and elegant, eet ees clear to me zat brutes deserve a brutish death. After all, I doubt zat even ze famous Percy Jackson could beat him in a fair fight." She spoke with a French accent, and the haughty look she wore extended into her voice. Poseidon cleared his throat but did not push the topic, shooting a glare at Nike.

"Well, at least he managed to get a shot off at you, look at that one." Ares pointed at the bruise on Alex's face and gave a low whistle. "Was that the hammer that the kid was so proud of?"

"No, Lord Ares. Your son never landed a single blow on me."

"Then if one of my best kids couldn't get ya even with my blessing, who did?" Alex turned in midair and extended both of his hands to point directly at Nico, smiling mischievously.

"Of course, ze son of Hadeez ees as cruel as his fazer. Even after my son has taken such good care of him, he vould strike at an opponent smaller zan him."

"Oh no, mother, it was a sucker punch, but one well deserved. If I had been more wary, I could have stopped it, but I did not. It is why I chose not to heal it with my magic, but let it take its natural course to heal. I am simply glad he did not manage to cut me." Alex chuckled, but Nike scoffed, shooting Nico a death glare that even Hades would have a hard time beating.

"Back to business." Alex was forcibly turned again, this time to Zeus. "Ares, it is your son, it is your call." Alex was turned to face Ares again, but the god of war waved it off.

"Stephen was an only child, and his mother is long dead. I'm upset to see him, go, but he was obviously not the brightest kid in the bunch. From what I see, Alex offered a fair warning and a way out, then was hit with a cheap, underhanded blow. Unfortunately for Stephen, he didn't follow up on Alex, and chose to attack his friend." He shrugged indifferently. "Let the kid go, I seek no recompense."

The shackles disappeared at Ares' word, and Alex twirled in midair, smiling brightly.

"Wait, we aren't done here." Alex turned of his own will this time, but to Hades. "I want to know why Stephen attacked _my_ son to get at _you_." Hades mouth was set in a straight line, one that Nico knew well.

"Yes, I am vondering ze same zing as vell. Vy not attack ze downed foe? Vy go for an innocent bystander?" Alex opened his mouth to speak but stopped, looking at Nico. Nico then realised that he had paled dramatically, even more than normal. He hadn't considered his dad finding out about him and Alex.

"Oh, I can answer that one." Aphrodite quipped from behind him. "Alex and Nico are together, that's why." Immediately, cries of outrage rose from Hades and Nike, each striding forward to meet the other. Though his dad had a good five feet on Nike, she was brandishing a fierce, flaming rapier that put Alex's broadsword and pole arm to shame.

"YOUR SON THINKS THAT-"

"-MY SON? HE VAS OBVIOUSLY TRICKED BY ZAT LITTLE-"

"-LITTLE KID WHO IS ALMOST A YEAR YOUNGER THAN HIM? YOUR SON-"

"-VAS IMPRESSED ZAT ANYONE COULD LAND A BLOW ON HIM-"

"-OH YEAH, HE HIT ME SO HE MUST BE THE ONE I'M MEANT TO BE WITH-"

"-YOU KNOW FULL AND VELL ZAT ALEX HAS NEVER DONE SOMEZING LIKE ZIS-"

"-OH, AND NICO HAS? EXCUSE ME FOR NOT SEEING THE SEDUCTRESS IN MY SON-"

"-OH, AND MY SON EES SOME SORT OF…OF…NIGHTTIME PARK PROMISCUITY-"

"-WELL IF THE SHOE FITS!"

Nike gasped and rose straight into the air, her wings not even moving as she got into Hades' face. "YOU TAKE ZAT BACK, YOU FILZY LITTLE GRAVEKEEPER!"

"WHY SHOULD I, YOU KNOW IT'S THE TRUTH."

"MY SON EES AS OLD AS YOU ARE, _POUFFIASSE! _HE HAS LIVED LONGER ZAN ANY HE HAS EVER KNOWN, AND HE KNOWS ZE RESPONSIBILITIES ZAT ARISE WIZ HIS GIFT. BESIDES, YOUR BOY WAS LIVING FOR ZIRTY-ONE DAYS IN MY OWN MANOR. I WOULD HAVE KNOWN EEF ANYZING HAD HAPPENED!

"HEY!" Aphrodite boomed, standing and causing Nico to stumble to his knees. "I THINK THIS IS MY AREA OF EXPERTISE, SO COOL IT!" Reluctantly, Nike and Hades each stood backward, and Aphrodite snapped. The same horrible sensation in his gut returned, and when he blinked he and Alex were standing on a floating platform between the three gods. Every eye was on them, even the young girl at the centre of the throne room, tending to the hearth.

"Now, boys, you tell me what's going on." She disappeared in a comical explosion of hearts, reappearing in front of the boys at a normal size, the six feet that was the normal for goddesses. Nike and Hades soon joined her, Hades the tallest and Nike the smallest, though she was only five feet and ten inches, by Nico's eye.

"Well, you see, it was an agreement by us to explore the feelings between us, Lady Aphrodite." Alex had mentioned once that Aphrodite was one of his three godmothers, and Nico hoped that she would listen to him. "I had never felt anything even similar to this before, in any of my lives. You should know, Aunt Aphrodite." The goddess smiled at the warm familiarity, and moved to kneel in front of Alex, locking eyes with him.

"Let me see inside, then, Alex." Alex looked down for a second, but then moved closer to Aphrodite, leaning forward to touch his forehead against hers. Her eyes glowed a brilliant pink as her mouth moved wordlessly. After a minute, they separated, and she frowned at Nico thoughtfully, looking him up and down. "Yeah, I see it."

She turned to Nico, and said, "You can try and explain, but it'll be faster if you just let me have a look-see." Nico had never trusted Aphrodite, not since his encounter with Cupid back in Croatia, but he didn't trust himself any more to accurately describe anything with his dad and all the other gods watching. He nodded, and repeated the motion Alex had previously, laying his forehead against hers.

In an instant, he was walking through a hallway with the goddess, looking through windows into his memories. They walked slowly, past all the crushes Nico had ever had, the longest section being Percy. She smiled faintly, and said, "I had had such hopes for you two, you know. I was rooting for you. My poor little Nico, always failing miserably in love." She sounded too happy about that, and Nico felt his dislike for her grow slightly, but realised he couldn't stay mad at her when she had wanted him to be happy.

"Now, let's see here." The previous sections of the hall had been simple brick, Percy's with moss and aquatic plants growing around it, but when they came to what Nico presumed was Alex's portion, the brick was replaced with marble, gleaming like starlight. "That's always a good sign." It was an agonisingly slow walk, the goddess examining every single scene played out before her through the windows of his memories, sometimes watching certain ones multiple times before moving on.

Nico watched himself narrate perfectly the fear he felt at being gay, since he was from a time when it was almost a death sentence to proclaim himself as such. Aphrodite sighed, draping a hand over her heart as they watched Alex hacking his way through the bone walls to reach Nico, and she gave an 'Awww!' when Alex took a ball of red light from his own chest and pushed it into Nico's before crawling into his arms.

He felt no shame showing Aphrodite these memories, even though she saw the most embarrassing one there, an incident early in the morning with Alex and a certain body part that acted of it's own mind sometimes. She grinned at Nico and winked, but made no mention of it and they moved on. He supposed if anyone had to know all this, it was better that it was Love herself. They reached the end of the hall, and she watched as he narrated the worry and guilt he felt for making Alex go through the entire

trial, knowing that he had killed Stephen because he was attacking Nico, and viewing him look down at Alex, thinking how good he managed to make godly captive look.

She sighed and looked woefully at Nico. "Oh, dear Nico, you are a true hopeless romantic, and I can't believe that I have never interfered with your love life. It's…it's so tragic it belongs in a play, truly. I understand completely what you feel, and you should know one thing.

"It's completely okay to be gay, darling. Everyone's a little gay. Your friend Lillith is the product of Iris and her hippie wife wanting a child, and crafting one out of pure light. If you haven't noticed, your boyfriend doesn't have a belly button. That is because Nike is a virgin, refusing to lose her virginity to anyone. She made Alex from a star and his sister from a wild flower, and infused them with her own spirit.

"Even back in the golden era, the greeks were man on man and woman on woman. It didn't matter, because it was love. Something pure and sweet, though decidedly vapid on most occasions. That's why no one likes it, you see. Everyone wants drama and intrigue with their love, they don't want sweet and sappy. People in modern days are even worse about it.

"I know you're worried about dying and leaving Alex alone, but trust me, he has more than one contingency plan. That kid is as stubborn as his mother with losing, even though most of it is because he wants to impress Nike as badly as you want to impress Hades." She knelt down, cupping his face with the palm of her hand. "But know that he loves you just as much as you love him, he just has no words to express himself, and no experience to go on.

"He's even stayed up late reading some of the sappiest romance novels he could borrow from Dionysus, attempting to figure out how to best romance you." She smiled, "It's a match made from my own heart, and I had nothing to do with it! No, you two have my blessing." She stood, and they walked to the very edge of the hall, where a large archway stood. "What was that phrase Lillith used? You two are her OTP. Yes, I can see what she means, and now it is headcanon!" She laughed gleefully and stepped through the arch, Nico following and shaking his head.

He would never understand girls and romance.

He opened his eyes as Aphrodite stood, turning to face Nike and Hades. Alex was next to him, wrapping his arms around Nico. "If things turn out badly, know that I have never felt before as I feel for you, my dear Reaper. You were in there for at least an hour. I hope she treated you well, Aunt Aphrodite can be cruel when she wants to be."

Nico wanted to reassure him, but Aphrodite cleared her throat, drawing all attention towards her. She looked Nike up and down, then did the same to Hades. "Well, it's hopeless, you two. Your kids have it bad, and there's nothing that even _I_ could do to break it up now. I'm afraid you're just going to have to deal with it."

She held her arms up theatrically and beamed at Nike and Hades, who wore twin masks of shock. They were frozen for a few moments, and at first Nico thought that was a good sign.

"_SUR MON CADAVRE!"_

"YEAH, OVER HER DEAD BODY!"

Nike and Hades were furious, and each stepped past the goddess of love, fire in their eyes. Nike grabbed Alex's arm and hauled him away from Nico, Hades roughly manoeuvring Nico by the shoulder to the opposite end of the floating disk.

"Oh come on, you two, are you really going to fight over young love? It never ends well when you do, and I already gave it my seal of approval." Aphrodite crossed her arms and looked damn scary, and Nico remembered back to Croatia, memories of exactly how scary love could be flooding his head.

"_LES RIVIÈRES SE DÉROULERA ROUGE AVANT QUE MON FILS CONSORTS AVEC LE SPAWN D'HADÈS!"_

"OKAY, I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THAT ONE, BUT FUCK YOU, NIKE!"

And with that, Nico felt himself shadow step with Hades, and when he blinked, he was at the gates to his father's palace in the Underworld. "Dad, wh-"

"Nico." His father's voice was deathly quiet. "This was not the way that I wanted to find out about you. You could have just told me. I would rather you have fallen for Percy Jackson than Nike's son. Until further notice, you are confined to the Underworld, unless I make an exception." Nico opened his mouth to complain about how it wasn't fair, but Hades held up his hand. "Not one word, Nico. Just…go to your chambers." With that, Hades disappeared.

Nico yelled and immediately attempted to shadow step back to camp, but felt his powers blocked. "DAMNIT, DAD, I FUCKING HATE YOU! YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME, I'M YOUR SON!" The wrench in his gut fired one more time and he blinked out of habit, finding himself in his bedroom when he opened his eyes. He turned, but the heavy iron doors clanged shut and bolted. "LET ME OUT!" He immediately banged on the door, kicking and screaming as loudly as he could. "I AM YOUR SON, AND THIS WILL NOT STAND. YOU CAN'T KEEP ME AND ALEX APART JUST BECAUSE YOU AND NIKE LIKE TO GET INTO PISSING MATCHES!"

He yelled for at least three hours before his voice gave out and he sank against the door and the tears began. He cried until he couldn't possibly cry anymore, and saw that a tray of food had been left next to him. There was a small note next to the pomegranate stew, and it read, "Nico, I heard what happened at Olympus because your father wouldn't let me go and watch. I know what it feels like to be trapped in this place. I'll talk to him and see what I can do. -P"

And Nico found the tears to continue crying. After every fight, after all he and Persephone had been through, she was trying to help him. Another hour later, he couldn't cry and his throat was killing him, so he reluctantly ate the food offered him.

His room, decorated with posters for punk bands and lots of skull ornaments, suddenly felt like a strangers. In retrospect, he had never found himself more longing for a painting of Agatha Christie in his life.

**ALEX**

Alex watched in despair as Nico was taken from him and disappeared, even though he vanished a second later to reappear at his mother's manor home, hidden above the Louvre from mortal eyes. His anguished cry was silenced by a swift slap from her hand, and she glared at him.

_ "De toutes les personnes de votre premier amour, je m'attendais à plus d'un fils de Hadès, Alex."_

_ "MÈRE, CE N'ÉTAIT PAS MON CHOIX! TANTE APHRODITE DIT! COMMENT POUVEZ-VOUS AFFIRMER AVEC _AMOUR _ELLE-MÊME?"_

_ "PARCE QUE JE PEUX. DANS LE CAS OÙ VOUS AVEZ OUBLIÉ, JE GAGNE TOUJOURS. JES. SUIS. VICTOIRE!" _She sighed, and then muttered, "_Vous êtes empêchés de quitter le terrain, mon fils. Jusqu'à ce que je dis autrement, il vous est interdit._

And with that, Nike disappeared in a burst of golden flame. Alex immediately stormed through the manor, through the intricate twists, turns, and two secret passages that led to his room. He angrily slammed the door behind him and turned towards it. _"C'EST DES CONNENCS!" _And he stormed over to the window-wall and slumped against it, crying softly into his arms. At some point in time, he supposed one of the maids came in and put down dinner, but he opened the panel next to him and pushed it out, too miserable to eat.

He looked up, glancing at the paintings decorating his walls through a veil of tears, and had never wished to see a skull or coat of black paint more in his life. Wallowing in his memories would not do! Angrily he ran his hands through his hair, wracking his brain for ideas. But…wait…if Nico still had…yes, that could work!

He stood and walked over to a small easel and picked up his paint brush, dipping into one of the nearby jars, he began angrily attacking the canvas. Two hours later, he stepped back and dropped the brush into an empty jar. Before him was a portrait of him and Nico sitting back-to-back on the floor of Cabin 13, Alex reading while Nico played with his cards.

A wild thought entered his mind, and he carefully dried his painting with sand, gently removing it a few minutes later to reveal the painting dry to the touch. He rolled it up and dropped it into a painting tube, running to the ornate cage near his bed. Inside, his white raven Xan watched him with intelligent eyes, cocking her head at the tube.

He opened the cage and she fluttered to his arm, where he tied the tube to her leg. "Take this to Nico di Angelo, the son of Hades. If his father is anything like my mother, he is more than likely in the Underworld. Please do this for me, Xan, and bring back anything he might wish to send." Xan bobbed in understanding before bowing her head. Alex ran to the window and threw it open, and Xan flew into the night, turning a few circles before she burst into a silver flame, disappearing from sight.

"Please, reach Nico, Xan." And with that, he moved to his bed, the orange spread complimenting the red room he lived in. Angrily he went to one of his many jars of black paint and dipped his hand in it, moving throughout his room and splattering it wherever he could to cover the awful colour that his mother had chosen. Finally, the wall was covered with a terrible coat of black paint, small patches of red shining through like blood.

He collapsed onto his bed and looked out the window to the City of Sparkling Lights, mesmerising him until he fell asleep. His last thought was just a hope that Nico understood the message he had sent in the painting, carefully hidden from any prying eyes.

**NICO**

Nico awoke with the start at the sudden weight on his chest. He realised he'd fallen asleep on the floor, and someone had walked in to drape a blanket over him and place a pillow under his head. Surrounded by a perfect circle of silver ash, a beautiful white raven peered at him with golden eyes, holding her leg out patiently. Attached was a small, plastic tube which Nico hastily untied, looking around to see the remains of his dinner.

"Umm, I don't know if you like pomegranates…" His voice cracked with sadness and exhaustion, but the bird seemed to understand and flew over to the bowl, dipping her beak in. Nico was entranced for a moment before he looked at the small tube now resting in his hands. Quickly, he popped the top of the tube, and tapped the other end.

Slowly, a small piece of canvas fell out into his lap. "Curiouser and curiouser…" The raven looked up and flew over to him, perching on his shoulder, her talons breaking the skin of his bare shoulder. He hissed, but made no move to shoo her. Carefully, he undid the string around the canvas and unrolled it, gasping softly.

It was a beautiful painting of Alex and Nico in the floor of Cabin 13, back-to-back as Alex had his head buried in a book and Nico played Mythomagic. Every detail was perfect, and Nico choked back a sob. He could have spent the time so much better, rather than having his head stuck in that stupid game. Alex looked so peaceful in the picture, though…

Nico frowned, looking at the way Alex was holding the book. Alex had always held his books from the top, but in the painting he was holding it by the sides…with his finger extended…to the corner of the cabin. Nico was confused, because in the painting the corner was empty, but in the real cabin, that corner was occupied by…the silver door!

Nico had no idea how Alex expected Nico to produce a silver door, but instead looked at the painting again. There had to be another clue somewhere, somewhere hidden in a place that no one else would think to look. He searched every inch of Alex's body, but found nothing out of the ordinary. With a sigh, he lowered the painting, looking over at his desk, where his Mythomagic deck sat.

"If only life were as easy as the game. I can't believe I just sat there and was so engrossed with those cards, when I could've been spending more time with Alex." He turned his head and looked at the raven perched on his shoulder, where she was watching him with bright intelligent eyes.

He sighed and tossed the painting onto his desk, walking over to his bed and flopping down, the raven flapping away quickly to perch on his headboard as Nico stared at the ceiling. He couldn't figure out what it was that Alex was trying to say. There certainly weren't any silver doors randomly appearing in his bedroom, and he had no idea how to go about making one.

He lay in bed for quite some time, going over that day in his head. He wasn't even sure how long ago it was, whether it was three days or just this morning that Stephen had slammed him against a pillar. He couldn't help feeling that this was all his fault.

He should've taken his sword with him to the pavilion, and he should've been more careful. Alex would never have done what he did if Stephen hadn't hurt Nico, and it was all because he hadn't been smart enough to defend himself.

But how wonderful it had been. He even remembered the exact card he had been inspecting before he and Alex had left, the new Isis card from the Egyptian Expansion.

Then with a start he sat straight up, jumping from his bed to rush to his desk, holding the painting right in front of his face, peering closely. That card he was holding in the painting, staring at so closely with a coy grin…Nico didn't have a card like that. But what he did have…

Nico dropped the painting and began tearing up his desk, searching through the drawers as Xan dismounted to fly and peck at the canvas, directly at the Mythomagic card, as though she were destroying any evidence. But she had no need, Nico thought. No one else knew that no card in Mythomagic existed with five colourful feathers arranged in a circle.

However…he looked around the room, wondering where any servant would have placed such an insignificant parcel. Then he looked at the foot of his bed and grinned, it was right there, on the throw pillow. He lunged and grabbed it, hastily opening the box. All five were there, glowing softly in the darkness.

Carefully, he picked up the white feather and closed the box, placing it a hiding place he had found years ago, set behind a loose obsidian brick in the wall. The best hiding place, after all, was in plain sight or behind a wall. Edgar Allen Poe taught him that.

He closed his eyes and gripped the downy feather softly, wishing as hard as he could. As soon as he finished, the feather became too hot to touch, and he dropped it hastily. It ignited in a silver flame, and a gleaming silver cube rested in it's place, emblazoned with the symbol of Nike and a single red button with an engraving that read, 'Push Me!'

Offering a quick prayer to Aphrodite, Nico opened his closet and ran to the deepest depths, where he kept all of his monster trophies. He placed the cube on the floor and pushed the button. Immediately, a glowing rectangle of pure starlight appeared above the cube, hovering in midair, and through it walked a small figure, hopping down into Nico's closet.

"Well, my little Reaper, you were quicker about that than I had hoped." And Nico's brown eyes locked with the mismatched ones before him, and he knew that he had found a way around Hades' rule.


End file.
